Disability or not

With reference to the Twitter storm over Chris Packham's comments 

here    My assessment report said there have to be impairments in social communication, social imagination and social interaction

for an appropriate diagnosis to be made. Is impairment synonymous with disability though?

  • A thing that puzzles me. The criteria for diagnosis says there has to be impairments in 3 areas ,as I've previously posted ;yet there's people with the diagnosis who make out they have no problems .

    Why do such people seek an assessment then? If they're given a diagnosis that suggests they have some degree of impairment , but such people don't think they're impaired in any way.

  • I think it's down to personal perception/experience - some may identify with having a disability, whereas others won't. I think the most respectful thing to do is to let individuals self-identify.

    However, for the purpose of being protected by the Equality Act 2010, Citizens Advice gives the following guidance:

    The Equality Act 2010 sets out when someone is considered to be disabled and protected from discrimination. The definition is quite wide - so check it even if you don’t think you’re disabled. For example, you might be covered if you have a learning difficulty, dyslexia or autism.

    The definition is set out in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010. It says you’re disabled if:

    • you have a physical or mental impairment
    • that impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
  • Synonyms of 'impairment'

    (noun)  in the sense of disability
    She has a visual impairment in her right eye.
  • In the eyes of general society autism is classed as a disability. For example, if you're a HE student simply being autistic makes you eligible to apply for the disabled students' allowances. 

    I take the view that I am not disabled by having the autistic neurotype as there isn't anything I'm unable to do. The predominant neurotype (neurotypicals) do disable me though in the way they design society and their lack of inclusive practice. For example, I was unable to work with my team as they're in a huge open-plan office of around 40 staff and this caused me sensory overload, therefore, I had to have the RA of my own office. I would have been able to work in a smaller officer if the team's environment had been designed with diversity in mind.

    Society's view that all autistic people are disabled does sadden me but having worked in disability support for many years I do understand that hardly anyone knows exactly what it means to be autistic.